The Strange Case of Peter Voorhees of Wakarusa, Douglas Co., KS
Peter first appears in Kansan on 10 Mar 1877, when Peter Voorhees of Lawrence, Douglas Co., KS bought land in Douglas Co., KS from G.W. Griffith. On 1 Sep 18771. Peter Voorhees and his wife, Elizabeth S. of Lawrence, Douglas, KS, sold the same land in Douglas Co., KS to John Chilcote.2 Peter Voorhees appears in the 1880 census Wakarusa, Douglas Co., KS,3 age 33, born in NJ, parents born in NJ, with his wife, Elizabeth S, 27, born in PA, ill with congestion of the liver. However, a Peter Voorhees matching this description was not found anywhere in the 1850 through 1870 census indexes. So, who was he?
Understanding Peter Voorhees begins with learning more about his aunt, Anna S. Groome Voorhees (41657), daughter of Peter J. Voorhees and Cornelia Berrian4 of Somerset Co., NJ. Her middle name “Groome” was actually her married name, as she married Nathaniel C. Groom on 17 Dec 1867 in Henderson, IL.5 They are listed in the 1870 census of Town 8 Range 4 of Henderson Co., IL with their daughter Cora Mae, age 1 and Charles Voorhees, age 216 (her nephew, son of her brother, John Berrian Voorhees (40858)). By 1880 they had moved to Halstead, Havey, Kansas where they are listed in that census7 with no children.
Her connection with Peter is first found in the 1900 census of Wakarusa, Douglas Co., KS8 where she is listed as his aunt in the household of Peter Voorhees, born Nov 1845 in NJ, age 55, parents born in NJ, along with N. C. Groom, uncle, born Jul 1840 in NJ, and Ann Groom, aunt, born Jun 1829 in NJ, had 2 children, none living, parents born in NJ. Peter is listed in the 1910 census of Wakarusa, Douglas Co., KS,9 aged 64, born in NJ, parents born in NJ, married once 34 years ago. He moved to Fishing River, Clay, MO by 1920, where he is listed in the 1920 census10 again in the household of Anna Groom, age 90, born in NJ. He is listed as Peter Voorhees, age 74, born NJ, parents born in NJ., nephew. However, he is not a son of any of Ann’s brothers.
The connection between Anna Voorhees Groom and Peter Voorhees begins to become clearer in his will, written on 20 Jun 1920 in Clay Co., MO and was proved on 19 Oct 1921. It mentions monetary bequests to several people with the remainder to "my two daughters, my only children, viz: Lissie J. Prevost and Julie M. Stryker, both of Trenton, NJ.”11 These children are the key to his real name.
A review of the census records of 1900 of census12 Trenton, Mercer, NJ: lists Alice Stryker, b Dec 1848, age 51, married, 3 children, 2 living; b NJ; Julia M, daughter, b Apr 1876, age 24, single, b NJ, parents b NJ; Harry S. Probost, son-in-law, b Jan 1868, married 4 years; Lizzie J., daughter, b May 1873, age 27, no children, b NJ, parents b. NJ. In the1920 census of Trenton, Lizzie and Harry Provost, and Julia M. Stryker are living in separate households. The names of Alice’s children and their location are the same as those of the children of Peter Voorhees.
Alice Van Dyck married Peter V Stryker on 25 Oct 1871 at Princeton, West Windsor, Mercer, NJ.13 She and her daughters (without her husband) are living with her mother, Elizabeth [Jewell] Vandike, in the 1880 census of West Windsor, Mercer Co., NJ.14 Alice died on 10 Jan 1912,15 and is buried at Riverview Cemetery, Trenton, NJ
Peter Voorhees Stryker was the son of Henry Stryker and Sarah Maria Voorhees. He was living with his parents, age 24, single, in the 1870 census of Montgomery, Somerset, NJ.16 He does not appear in any later census indexes. The will of Henry Stryker of Montgomery Township, Somerset Co., NJ, written on 26 Dec 1892 mentions his wife, Sarah M, his son, Peter V. Stryker, his grandchildren: Lizzia J. Stryker and Julia Stryker, among other children and grandchildren,17 again mirroring the children of Peter Voorhees. Peter V. Stryker died on 7 Oct 1921 (less than two weeks before the will of Peter Voorhees was proved) and is buried in the Blawenburg Cemetery, Montgomery Twp., Somerset Co., NJ.18
Sarah Voorhees was born in June 1826.19 She married Henry Stryker on 20 Feb 1845 in Somerset Co., NJ.20 Though she is not identified in the Van Voorhees Family in America, she was undoubtedly also a daughter of Peter J. Voorhees and Cornelia Berrian,21 supported by the 1830 census of Montgomery Twp., Somerset Co., NJ22 which shows there is an additional, previously unknown daughter under 5 years old living in Peter’s household. Her son, Peter V. Stryker, aka Peter Voorhees, would then be the nephew of Anna S. Voorhees.
A few questions remain:
Why did he use the name Peter Voorhees, instead of Peter Voorhees Stryker?
Did he ever actually change his surname to Voorhees?
Did he ever actually marry Elizabeth as no marriage record under either surname has been found.
Finishing on Anna Voorhees Groom, her daughter, Cora Mae, was born on 26 May 1869 and died on 26 Oct 1871. Her son, Henry VanDoren, was born 2 Octo 1871, and died 23 Aug 1874. By 1910, Anna was living in Halstead, Harvey, MO where she is listed in the census as being 81 years old, a widow born in NJ. She probably died shortly before Peter Voorhees wrote his will as no provision is made for her.
Endnotes
1. Douglas Co., KS Deeds, Vol 16, p. 128.
2. Douglas Co., KS Deeds, Vol 16, p. 317
3. 1880 US Census Wakarusa, Douglas Co., KS, online at: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBC-D11?cc=1417683&wc=XZ92-GP8%3A1589403245%2C1589395616%2C1589403484%2C1589395538
4. Florence Christoph, Van Voorhees Family in America, First Six Generations, p. 600.
6. 1870 US Census of Town 8 Range 4 of Henderson Co., IL, online at: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-63B9-M88?cc=1438024&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM64Q-7HH
7. 1880 US Census of Halstead, Havey, Kansas, online at https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YYB-CHK?cc=1417683&wc=XC47-K68%3A1589403245%2C1589404436%2C1589404661%2C1589398807
8. 1900 US Census of Wakarusa, Douglas Co., KS, online at: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6QFS-SXH?cc=1325221&wc=9B7S-3TB%3A1031093901%2C1030788401%2C1032685901
9. 1910 US Census of Wakarusa, Douglas Co., KS, online at: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYB4-JDC?cc=1727033&wc=QZZC-47C%3A133640801%2C133718401%2C137001101%2C1589089109
10. 1920 US Census of Fishing River, Clay, MO, online at: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RN1-9CNN?cc=1488411&wc=QZJY-DD6%3A1036473201%2C1036795101%2C1037472101%2C1589332490
11. Clay, MO Wills, Vol K, p 305
12. 1900 US Census of Trenton, Mercer, NJ, online at: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DTG9-97Q?cc=1325221&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM9FG-L54
13. New Jersey Marriages, book BK, pg. 539
14. 1880 US Census of West Windsor, Mercer Co., NJ, online at: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB5-T1?cc=1417683&wc=XWGH-FM9%3A1589408696%2C1589400935%2C1589409242%2C1589395390
15. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24710498/alice-stryker
16. 1870 US Census of Montgomery, Somerset, NJ, online at: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DTJ3-M3C?cc=1438024&wc=KPZF-T38%3A518652701%2C518991201%2C518958901 9
17. Somerset Co., NJ Wills, Vol N, p 213.
18. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/35717826/peter-voorhees-stryker
19. 1900 Census of Millstone, Somerset, NJ, online at: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6WJW-WCC?cc=1325221&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM9ND-F71
20. Somerset County Historical Quarterly Vol 8, p 208.
21. See family tree of Sarah Maria Voorhees at: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/K85D-MBH
22. 1830 US Census of Montgomery Twp., Somerset Co., NJ, online at: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YYF-9CJT?cc=1803958&wc=35Y4-B81%3A1588480903%2C1588477714%2C1588471434
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